The Herne Bay Festival is a lot more than an afternoon of Punch and Judy and fishing for crabs. Chris Price got his bucket and spade ready.

The Herne Bay Festival is once again set to bring the seaside to life, with a snappy nine-day celebration that gets under way this weekend.

Dodgy pincer-themed jokes aside, the Monster Crab Competition is always a big hook (sorry) for families but the annual event packs in lots of music and theatre as well.

On the opening weekend alone there is a classic car and bike show, a motorbike stunt display, a trapeze act, the giant seamonster parade and fireworks.

Running from Saturday, August 20 to Sunday, August 28, each Saturday features an afternoon of live music. Folk-inspired tunes will echo around the Central Bandstand on the opening day, and the Invicta Concert Band will lay on some more traditional bandstand music on Sunday, August 21.

Herne Bay Rocks sees local acts performing around the town each evening until Thursday, August 25, competing to earn a slot on the main stage for Rock Around The Clock at the Clocktower Plaza on Saturday, August 27.

All week there are workshops and activities for children including kite flying, skipping, creative arts, dance and sports. Don’t miss the traditional seaside entertainment – brass bands, Punch and Judy shows and a lifeguard demonstration.

The opening parade is on Saturday, August 20 from noon. The Bollybay Parade starts at Wimereux Gardens and promises, bhangra music and Bollywood dancing as it weaves through the High Street and Mortimer Street before finishing at the Clocktower Plaza at 1pm.

Children can catch a critter by dangling a line from the pier in the Monster Crab Competition on Sunday, August 21. There is a prize for whoever catches the heaviest or one of the specially marked crabs which have been placed in the water. Bring 16 metres of fishing line, a small weight and a bucket for the crabs.

Two grannies will zoom around on souped-up shopping trolleys in Granny Turismo on Saturday, August 27. The street theatre sees a group of wrinklies dancing to the latest hip hop on William Street, from the clocktower to the bandstand and then to the pier.

Proceedings will round off on Sunday, August 28 with a giant picnic featuring music and free family fun at the Herne Bay Memorial Park. Try cake decorating, balloon modelling, face painting, gardening and a sing-a-long from 11am to 2pm.

The festival finale – Herne Bay’s Got Talent – is at the Central Bandstand at 2.30pm on Sunday, August 18.

There are prizes to be won for anyone who impresses the panel.

The Herne Bay Festival runs from Saturday, August 20 to Sunday, August 28. To see the full festival programme visitwww.hernebayfestival.co.uk